Looper-operating mechanism for sewing-machines.



J. R. MOFFATT 6; R. S. KELSO. LOOPER OPERATING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED DECZI, 1916. 1,288,862., Patented Nov. 5,19%.

- 5 SHEETSSHEET I J. R. MOFFATT & R. S. KELSO. LOOPER OPERATING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED 050.21, 1916.

Patented Nov. 5, 1918.

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J. R. MOFFATT 64 R. S. KELSO. LOOPER OPERATING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-2|. I9I6.

Patented. Nov. 5, 1918.

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1. R. MOFFATT & R. s. mso. I LOOPER OP ERAUNG MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED DEC.2I, I916.

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Patented Nov. 5, 1918.

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' JAMES R. MQFFATT AND ,BALPI-I S. KELSO, 0F CHICAGQILLINOIS', ASSIGNORS '10 UNION srncmn MACHINE cor/tram; or ILLINOIS. y r

, OF CHICAGO. ILLINQIS, A. GORPORATION LOOPEBEOPERA'IING MECHANISM SEWING-MACHINES.

lessees.

. s ecification of Letters Eatent.

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Applicationfiled December 21, 1916. I Serial No. 138,222.

Sew-ingMachines, of which the. following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference. marked thereon. M v a The invention relates to new and useful improvements in looper operating mechanisms for sewing machines,andmore particularly to. a looper operating mecl ianism for threaded looper which is disposed so as to move back and forth in substantially the line of feed for its loop-taking and loopshedding movements, An object of the: invention is to. provide a looper operating mechanism wherein the looper is moved positively back and forth, that is, into and out of the needle loop, and i also positively laterally for, its needle avoiding movement through devices ,con nected. withthe main shaft below the work support, which devices are ofcomparatively few parts and free from springs and irregularly shaped cams.

A. further object of the invention is to; provide a machine of the above character wherein a plurality of loopers may be used, which loopersare arranged side by side and are movable in a direction parallel \viththe line of feed for their loop-entering and.

loop-leaving movements.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be. hereinafter more fully disclose-d.

1n the drawings, which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention:. r

Figure lis a front view of a sewing machine embodying the improvements;

Fig. .2 is a longitudinal sectional View through a portion of the machine, said view being taken substantially on the line of the needles;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts beneath Fig. 4 is a view, partly in transverse vertical section and partly in elevation, substantially through one of the needles,

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is adiorizontal sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 2.

We have shown our invention as applied to a sewing machine which is formed with a supporting bed 1 on which is mounted a work support 2. An overhanging arm 3 is. crrried by said supporting bed and, a needle bar 141;:rec1procates in the forward end of said overhanging arm. Said needle bar is reciprocated by a needle lever vUwhich is connected to the needle bar by a link 6. The needle lever is oscillated by an eccen tric strap 7 which coiipeiates with an ec centric on the main shaft 8. As herein shown, the needle bar is provided with a needle supporting head. 9which carries four needles, indicated "at 10, 11, 12 and 13. The threads for the needles are led through suitable tensions, indicated at T, and thence through suitable thread guides carried in part by the needle lever and in part by the needle bar. and: in part by the overhanging arm. The needle threads are indicated at 2? in the drawings.

- The material. isheld on the work support by a presscr foot 14:. This presser foot is carried by a .presser bar 15 which is mounted in the overhanging arm. Cooperating with the presser. foot .is a feed dog 16. This feed dogis carried by a feed bar 17, which raised and lowered by a suitable cam on; the main shaft, and which feed bar is moved back and forth through a connection with a 'feed rocker 18, which feed rocker in-turnis operated by an eccentric strap 19 cooperating with i an eccentric on the main aseries of feed dogs which are adjustably connected with thefeed bar 17 which car ries a cross head' QOon whichthe feed dogs holder, and thesejlooper holders are *each .in-v

dicated art-25 in: the drawings. These looper shaft. lit will be understood that there is Cit dependently adjustable and set so as to correspond to the arrangement of the needles on the needle bar: The loopers, as clearly shown :in the drawings, are each mounted so that it extends in a line parallel with the hne of feed.

The. looper carrier 26 has also a second cross bar 32 connected to the sleeves 27 and '28, and a small finger piece 33 is secured to the sleeve 28. The sleeves and 28 are mounted so as to slide freely on the looper support-ing'shaft 34. A collar 35 is rigidly V secured tothe looper supporting shaft 34, and this collar is formed with spaced arms 36 and 37 (see Fig. 4) through which the cross bar 32 extends. This serves as a means forconnectmg the looper carrier to the looper supporting shaft so that, while 1t may be moved endwise on the shaft, it can not'be oscillatedrelative'to the shaft.

The looper supporting shaft 34 is mounted in suitable bearings 38 and 39 carried by the supporting bed 1. The shaft extends beyond these bearings and is' mounted to turn freely in the bearings. so that it may oscillate therein and also move endwise in the bearings. Said looper supporting shaft 7 is oscillated by a link 40 which is connected toa crank arm 41 on the looper supporting shaft and alsoto a crank arm 42 on the main shaft 8. As the main shaft rotates, the crank arm 41 willrotate, but the crank arm 41 is longer than the crank arm 42 and,

therefore,- the looper supporting shaft will be oscillated.

,The looper supporting shaft is moved endwise through dev'i'ceslconnected' to the other end ofsaid looper supporting shaft. On the end'of the shaft there is a sleeve 43 which is'clamped thereto by the screw 44. This sleeve 43 projects beyond the end of the looper supporting shaft and a rod 45 extends into-thesleeve. A collar 46 is clam ed on theend of this rod, while a collar 4 is clamped to the end of the sleeve by a screw '48. This last-named collar has an opening therethrough through which the rod 45 extends, and this rod turns freely in the open- 'ing. From the above, it will be apparent that, when the rod 45 is moved endwise, it will cause the looper supportingshaft to move endwise, but said looper'supporting shaft is free to oscillate on its connection with'said rod 45. The rod 45 at its outer end is connected by a link 49 with an arm 50 carried by a sleeve 51 which lShl'lOlllllTWl to oscillate about a vertical post 52. Said sleeve 51 has a second arm 53 which is conr nected to an eccentric strap 54. The eccentric strap 54 cooperates with an eccentric 55 from the main shaft 8. As the main shaft rotates, this eccentric will oscillate the sleeve 51 and the sleeve through the link connection 49 and the rod 45 will move the looper supporting shaft endwise.

. From the above, it will be apparent that we have provided devices for moving the loopers back and forth, into and out of the needle loops, and also for moving the loopers laterally, which devices are of few parts free from springs and any irregularly shaped cams so that the machine may be driven at high speed with little vibration in the parts so that the operating mechanism is strong and durable. It will be understood that the means for oscillating the loopers and the means for moving the loopers endwi'se are timed so that the loopers move forward into their respective needle loops with little or no lateral movement until the points of the needles are far above the loopers, after which the loopers are moved laterally for their needle avoiding movements, and during this lateral or needle avoiding movement there is comparatively little backward movement of the loopers and this holds the looper thread substantially taut. After the loopers have been positioned on the other sides of the needles, they are moved backward with little or no lateral movement until the points ofthe loopers have passed the needles, after which they have returned to their first or initial position for their forward movement.

It is obvious that minorchanges in the details of construction and the arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of this invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure b Letters Patent, is

l. The combination of a work support, a main shaft located beneath the work support, a looper, a looper supporting shaft on which said looper is mounted, means for oscillating said looper supporting shaft and means for moving the looper supporting shaft endwise for giving the looper a needle avoiding movement, said last named means including a sleeve secured to the looper supporting shaft and projecting beyond the end thereof, a rod extending into said sleeve, a collar on said rod, means clamped in the end of the sleeve for holding the'collar in the sleeve and permitting the sleeve to oscillate freely on the rod and means for moving the rod endwise from the main shaft.

2. The combination of a work support, a

main shaft located beneath the work support, a looper, 'a looper supporting shaft on which said looper is mounted, means for oscillating said looper supporting shaft and means for moving the looper supporting shaft endwise for giving the looper a needle avoiding movement, said last named means including a sleeve secured to the looper supporting shaft and projecting beyond the end thereof, a rod extending into said sleeve, a collar on said rod, means clamped in the end of the sleeve for holding the collar in the sleeve and permitting the sleeve to oscillate freely on the rod, a sleeve mounted to oscillate about a vertical axis, an eccentric on the main shaft, an eccentric strap cooperating therewith, said eccentric strap being connected to the sleeve for oscillating the same and a link for connecting the rod to the sleeve whereby the oscillations of the sleeve move the rod endwise.

3. The combination of a work support, a plurality of needles, a looper for each needle, a looper holder for each looper, a looper carrier on which all of said looper holders are adjustably mounted, a looper supporting shaft for said carrier and means for oscillating said shaft and moving the same endwise whereby the looper is moved into and out of the needle loop and is moved laterally for its needle avoiding movement.

4. The combination of a work support, a plurality of needles, a looper cooperating with each needle, a looper holder-for each looper, a looper carrier having a slotted bar, means for clamping said holders to said slotted bar whereby the same may be adjusted lengthwise of the bar, a looper supporting shaft for said looper carrier and means for oscillating said looper supporting shaft and for moving the same endwise.

In testimony whereof, we aflix our signatures, in the presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES R. MOFFATT. RALPH S. KELSO.

Witnesses S. GEORGE TATE, F. C. BUTLER.

Copies'of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

